• Check out the cafe & restaurant scene in Wellington, voted the coolest little capital in the world

• Take a behind the scenes tour of the of a Kiwi conservation project at the Rainbow Springs Kiwi Encounter

• Visit Hobbiton and take a guided tour of the set made famous by the "Lord of the Rings & Hobbit" movies

• See the City of Sails harbour made famous by the Americas Cup

What's included

Accomodation

Accommodation

Throughout your trip you’ll be getting your beauty sleep in comfy beds in cosy multi-share rooms. Your accommodation will always be located in the heart of the action, with communal areas for you and your new best friends to relax and socialise.

Food

Food

We'll get 12 of your meals, you get the rest. You can expect a healthy breakfast every morning, as well as a traditional Maori Hangi and a BBQ or roast along the way. We'll also give you plenty of opportunities to try the best gourmet eats in NZ.

Staff

Staff

A highly trained Trip Manager who brings your adventure to life. An expert driver who knows foreign roads better than Google Maps. Local Guides who make tourist traps a thing of the past. This is your team. Smart, friendly, fun, and integral to everything we do.

Age requirement

18 to 35 years old

Traditional Maori hāngi dinner & dance performance one minute, skyscrapers & city nightlife the next. This is the sort of diversity that will keep you on your toes and round the clock ecstatic on the Northern Choice. The adventure starts in little San Fran of Wellington & concludes in the big smoke of Auckland.

Starts

Wellington (Nz)

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10 Days

Ends

Auckland

Itinerary

Day 1 — Wellington

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Wellington let's do this, and what better place to start than NZ's well-cultured capital. after checking in to our comfy digs for the evening, the afternoon is yours to start conquering the windy city. Coffeeconnoisseurshead straight to Cuba Street and hit up any of the local caffeine joints, or if the sun is shining, there's really nothing better than the waterfront and a crisp glass of NZ wine. This evening you'll meet up with the rest of the squad, pumped for the imminent adventure that awaits you.

Day 2 — Wellington

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The day is yours to explore Wellington! In the early evening we'll head to a local cafe and try the famed flat white coffee in its city of origin (sorry Australians). Then you'll have a free afternoon, or (from Oct 2020) we'll meet Parris Quinn our 2019 changemaker, and try some of her Heart Parcels brownies. Heart Parcels is a charity that Parris started to ensure Wellington's homeless have enough food to eat. Buy a delicious brownie here and the proceeds go straight towards feeding people living on the streets of Wellington. If it's a Monday night, you're welcome to join Paris as she hands out donations. It's inspiring stuff.

Meals: BREAKFAST

Day 3 — Wellington to Mount Ruapehu

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We wave goodbye to Wellington and its beautiful scenery and we prepare ourselves for our next adventure – and trust us, this one is bucket-list worthy.Known as the après-ski capital of the North island, Ohakune is a tranquil town with stupendous view. Today you have the option to go mountain biking along one of NZ's most picturesque track, "the Old Coach Rd" or spend the day bettering your skills on the slopes or generally treating yourself to all the snowy based activities on offer, then tonight snuggle down in our Special Stay ski lodge, located in prime position at the base of Mt. Ruapehu.

Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Day 4 — Mount Ruapehu

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With another day to spend in Mt. Ruapehu, we definitely have lost of bucket-list worthy experiences to look forward to.That’s right, this active volcano is the perfect source of adrenaline for those who seek our incomparably unique, NO Regrets experiences. The next two days have adventure written all over them with skiing on the top of the list. Whether you consider yourself a pro, or perhaps just an aspiring ski enthusiast, this is the perfect place for you to ‘slide’ into new adventures. And yes we do make excellent puns.

Meals: BREAKFAST

Day 5 — Mount Ruapehu to Rotorua

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These landscapes are unique, and the sights will leave you breathless as we leave Mount Ruapehu behind en-route to Huka Falls.220,000 litres (that's 58 000 gallons) of water gush over Huka Falls per second. Just let that sink in for a minute. Wild, right? Even wilder still is the Hukafalls Jet experience - a thrilling ride that will get you experiencing the full force of the falls and leave you with even more of a taste for adventure. A good thing really, given Rotorua is on the horizon…When you catch your first whiff of that .. 'unusual' sulphur smell, you'll know we've arrived in Rotorua. Famed for its spurting geysers, boiling mud pools & hot springs, gondola and speeding luge rides, Rotorua is a natural wonderland, and then some. Tonight the culture will sky rocket with a traditional Maori hāngi dinner & dance performance, and perhaps best of all, the chance to get involved in the world-famous HAKA. Tongues at the ready peeps.

Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Day 6 — Rotorua

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The day is yours to roam free in this geothermal paradise. Soak in a hot spring, go white water rafting or hike up a volcano. The options are limitless and the decisions are yours, but we recommend the exhilarating Rotorua Canopy Tour, an optional where you'll watch the sun rise and drink coffee up in the towering trees, as the birds make start their morning calls. Then, you'll get to soar 1200m through the forest on the ultimate zipline adventure.

Meals: BREAKFAST

Day 7 — Rotorua to Auckland

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Famed for its spurting geysers, boiling mud pools & hot springs, gondola and speeding luge rides, Rotorua is a natural wonderland and then some. But don't let the allure of this place consume you, for there's a fun stop at Hobbiton village we must complete. Join us at our short visit at the land of 'Lord of the Rings', before we head to Auckland. That's right, it wouldn't be a complete experience without a stop at the "Shire".

Meals: BREAKFAST

Day 8 — Auckland to Paihia via Parry Kauri Park

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Welcome to NZ globe trotters. Time to meet your wolf-pack and start salivating over the overflowing banquet of adventure we have up for grabs here in the land of the 'long white cloud'. We'll cross Aucklands Harbour Bridge admiring the 'City of Sails' habour before starting our journey north to Paihia.We'll waste no time exploring what this country is famed for - unfathomable nature. Ancient Kauri trees that stand up to 50 metres high and hold over 1000-years of history will delight a walk through the reserve of Parry Kauri Park. -Walk through native Kauri ForestOn arrival to the Bay of Island we're starting off with a dose of Kiwi history on a guided tour at Waitangi Treaty grounds where in 1840 New Zealand officially became a nation of two communities. And because we like to give you that something extra, how about a free admission at the Treaty museum, in case you seek a bit more detail on Kiwi history.

Meals: BREAKFAST

Day 9 — Paihia

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Whether it's parasailing or a fast boat ride - today's (idyllic) list of optionals reads like a who's who of adventure. This area is filled with natural beauty and is sure to inspire your inner wild child. Make the most of the Free Time Add-On experiences on offer - tomorrow we head back to the big city vibes.

Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Day 10 — Paihia to End Auckland

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Feeling salty and sun-kissed we wave goodbye to beautiful Paihia & sashay our way back down NZ in the direction of Auckland.Time to say adios to the wolf pack and re-live the dream that was the land of the long white cloud, no doubt also dreaming of what might be next in store on an upcoming Contiki adventure, Asia, adventure?